KAIST researchers develop animal-free culture platform to improve intestinal stem cell therapy SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - Researchers have developed a new technology to grow human intestinal stem cells without using animal-derived materials, resolving a major safety hurdle for regenerative medicine. The method significantly improves the ability of these cells to move and repair damaged tissues, potentially accelerating treatments for intractable gastrointestinal diseases. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on December 23 that a joint research team led by Professor Im Sung-gap of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has created a polymer-based culture platform called PLUS (Polymer-coated Ultra-stable Surface). The project included researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) and the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB). Current methods for growing intestinal stem cells often rely on "Matrigel" or mouse-derived cells to provide a foundation for growth. Because these materials come from animals, they carry risks of viral contamination and trigger strict regulatory hurdles for human use. The newly developed PLUS platform uses a synthetic polymer coating applied via gas-phase deposition, creating a completely "xenogeneic-free" or animal-free environment that remains stable at room temperature for three years. To understand why the cells grew so well on this synthetic surface, the team used proteomics, a method of analyzing all proteins within a cell simultaneously. They discovered that the PLUS platform triggers "cytoskeletal remodeling." This process essentially reorganizes the internal structural framework of the stem cells, specifically increasing proteins that bind to actin, which the cells use as a motor to move. Live imaging showed that stem cells grown on this platform moved nearly twice as fast as those grown on conventional surfaces. In laboratory models of damaged tissue, these cells repaired nearly half of the injured area within one week. This increased mobility is critical for cell therapy, as the injected stem cells must be able to migrate to and integrate with the patient's damaged intestinal lining to be effective. The researchers confirmed that the platform supports the mass production of stem cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. The cells maintained their essential characteristics for over 210 days and successfully repaired intestinal inflammation in animal models, suggesting a high potential for clinical application in humans. "This research provides a synthetic culture platform that eliminates the dependence on animal-derived components, which has been a major barrier to the clinical application of stem cell therapies," Professor Im Sung-gap said. He noted that the technology could lead to a paradigm shift in how regenerative medicine is produced and distributed. The study involved Park Seong-hyun and Sun Sang-yu of KAIST, and Son Jin-kyeong of KRISS as lead authors. The research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. (Paper information) Journal: Advanced Materials Title: Tailored Xenogeneic-Free Polymer Surface Promotes Dynamic Migration of Intestinal Stem Cells DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202513371 2025-12-23 08:28:54

K-ramyeon, AI chip and doll: Korean ramyeon joins WSJ's culture list for 2025 SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) -A vivid-red bowl of Korean instant noodles—slurped onscreen by a purple-braided K-pop heroine—has joined the Wall Street Journal’s list of the “20 objects defining culture in 2025,” placing Korean ramyeon alongside China’s viral toy craze Labubu and global pop phenomenon Taylor Swift. The ramyeon moment, drawn from Netflix’s animated smash KPop Demon Hunters, ranked third on the Journal’s list, following the monster-doll Labubu—produced by China’s Pop Mart—and Swift’s engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce. The list, presented as a playful guessing game, also featured viral markers of the year ranging from Nvidia chips to matcha lattes. At the center of the phenomenon was KPop Demon Hunters, which blended K-pop spectacle with Korean shamanistic motifs in a story about embracing one’s whole identity. Released in June, the animated film became the most-watched title in Netflix history across both film and television categories, surpassing even Squid Game. Directed by Korean Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, the U.S.-produced film follows Huntr/x, a fictional girl group that battles evil spirits using the power of music. Its original soundtrack proved equally potent. “Golden,” performed by Korean American artists Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight nonconsecutive weeks and led the UK’s Official Singles Chart Top 100 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks. The song marked a new milestone for K-pop-linked music, seamlessly blending Western pop sensibilities with Korean melodic structures and partially Korean lyrics—an approach increasingly resonant with global audiences. The cultural spillover was not limited to music. Riding the momentum of the anime’s global success, South Korea’s ramyeon exports surged, surpassing $1 billion as of September, underscoring how pop culture continues to translate into tangible trade gains for Korean consumer brands. 2025-12-23 07:59:10

Korean Inc. leaders seeking large-scale trip to China in January SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) -South Korea’s leading business leaders are seeking to visit China early next year as part of a large-scale economic delegation, a move that could coincide with a summit under discussion between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to sources closed to the matter Monday. The delegation, expected to include Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Myung Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, is being organized by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Business circles said the chamber is currently accepting applications from companies to join the China mission, which is expected to comprise about 200 firms and take place in early January. The delegation is likely to be led by Chey in his capacity as KCCI chairman. If realized, it would mark the chamber’s first China business delegation since December 2019, when it organized a visit linked to a South Korea–China–Japan summit during the Moon Jae-in administration. Chey visited China in October to discuss preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit and ways to expand bilateral economic cooperation. Industry officials said the participation of all four conglomerate chiefs is highly likely, underscoring the strategic weight of the trip. The chamber is set to close applications on Monday and finalize the delegation after a screening process. The final schedule and attendee list could be adjusted depending on whether summit talks between Seoul and Beijing proceed as planned. South Korea and China have been in consultations over a possible leaders’ summit early next year, according to Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday, adding that a date could be announced soon. The business delegation include a Korea–China business forum, the signing of economic cooperation memorandums of understanding, and one-on-one business meetings. The forum is expected to focus on manufacturing innovation and supply-chain cooperation, new consumer-goods markets, and services and content. Major South Korean conglomerates have pledged a combined $350 billion in U.S. investment, largely focused on advanced manufacturing, energy and next-generation technologies. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-23 07:28:38

Lee Jae-yong reviews next-generation chip technologies at Samsung R&D and manufacturing hubs SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the company's Giheung and Hwaseong semiconductor campuses on Monday to review research progress and manufacturing readiness for upcoming memory and system semiconductor technologies. Lee toured the NRD-K complex in Giheung, Samsung's advanced R&D hub dedicated to next-generation memory, foundry and system semiconductor development. The facility focuses on overcoming scaling limits in cutting-edge process nodes and strengthening design capabilities for future chip architectures, according to the company. He later visited the Hwaseong campus to examine the rollout of manufacturing automation systems incorporating digital-twin and robotics technologies, as well as ongoing applications of AI in production processes. During the visit, Lee held discussions with senior semiconductor executives, including Jun Young-hyun, head of the DS division, and CTO Song Jae-hyuk, on global market trends and the company's mid- to long-term strategy. Lee also met engineers involved in commercializing Samsung's latest products—including HBM, D1c-class DRAM and V10-generation NAND—to hear feedback on development, manufacturing and quality challenges. "We must restore our fundamental technological competitiveness through bold innovation and investment," Lee said during the visit. 2025-12-22 21:15:00

Samsung HBM4 scores well with Nvidia, unnerving memory end users amid tight supply SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is poised to share next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) orders for Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin artificial-intelligence accelerator with SK hynix, after earning strong evaluations in final sample testing by Nvidia, people familiar with the matter said. Samsung is said to have received one of the most favorable assessments in early system-in-package (SiP) validation for its HBM4, marking a sharp turnaround from earlier hurdles in supplying HBM3 to Nvidia. The results position Samsung as a credible second supplier alongside SK hynix, the pioneer of AI-optimized HBM. According to industry sources, Samsung’s HBM4 performance gains stem from its use of a next-generation base die built on the D1c process node, compared with the D1b nodes used by rivals, as well as its in-house 4-nanometer logic technology. “There are speed requirements the product must meet, and ours is performing well,” a Samsung official said. “Using the D1c base die gives us stronger characteristics, and our 4-nanometer process further enhances performance when integrated.” Samsung acknowledged that expanding HBM production inevitably competes with conventional DRAM wafer capacity, but said recent investments should help cushion the impact. “HBM does take up a substantial amount of DRAM capacity,” the spokesperson said. “But we have expanded overall capacity significantly over the past two years — nearly doubling it — so the impact should be smaller than the market fears.” HBM relies on three-dimensional stacking, with multiple memory dies placed vertically and connected through through-silicon vias (TSVs). The architecture allows memory to sit closer to CPUs and GPUs via interposers, sharply reducing latency while improving bandwidth and power efficiency. Conventional DDR memory, by contrast, uses a two-dimensional layout in which chips are arranged side-by-side. As hyperscale data-center investment accelerates, South Korea’s newest fabs are increasingly being dedicated to HBM production, heightening supply concerns across the broader memory market. Device makers — from automakers to PC manufacturers — have begun stockpiling mainstream DRAM amid fears of shortages. “The effect is already visible,” said Yangpaeng Kim, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. “DDR5 fixed-transaction prices have risen roughly fivefold from a year earlier, and this appears closely linked to capacity shifts toward HBM. Price volatility is likely to remain elevated.” Spot prices for standard DRAM have climbed more than 60 percent over the past six months and are expected to reach $500 in the first quarter of 2026 — double the level of a year earlier — according to market researcher TrendForce. Ahn Ki-hyeon, executive director at the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, said HBM demand is likely to continue exerting upward pressure on mainstream memory. “Demand-side momentum remains strong, giving DRAM prices a high likelihood of moving higher,” he said. While SK hynix retains a technological edge in stacking — including advanced 16-high TSV architectures — Samsung’s improving SiP-level stability, spanning thermal management, power behavior and GPU-package signal integrity, is seen as a meaningful step toward potential qualification for Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform. With memory prices expected to rise into early 2026, the balance between HBM expansion and conventional DRAM supply is emerging as a critical industry fault line. Whether Samsung can scale HBM4 production while preserving adequate capacity for DDR5 and LPDDR is likely to shape pricing, supply stability and competitiveness across the next cycle of AI infrastructure and consumer electronics. 2025-12-22 18:04:43

Dedicated gallery for ancient gilt-bronze masterpiece opens in Buyeo SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - The Buyeo National Museum is set to open a dedicated exhibition hall on Tuesday, exclusively showcasing one of South Korea’s most celebrated artifacts: a gilt-bronze incense burner of the Baekje Kingdom. Unearthed on Dec. 12, 1993, at a temple site in Buyeo, the incense burner is regarded as a pinnacle of ancient craftsmanship. Its intricate design — featuring a dragon base, a phoenix finial, and a body adorned with immortals, exotic animals, and five musicians — serves as a profound distillation of the Baekje Kingdom’s religious ideology and worldview. According to museum officials, the new space aims to offer a more immersive experience for visitors. "While our permanent galleries allow visitors to appreciate the overall elegance and harmony of Baekje culture, this new space is specifically curated to let the public experience the true essence of the incense burner in a focused environment," a museum spokesman said. "The exhibition demonstrates how a single relic can represent the pinnacle of an era's art, technology, and philosophy." 2025-12-22 17:43:18

North Korea-linked hackers found distributing malware via word files SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - A North Korea-linked hacking group has been detected running a cyber operation code-named "Artemis," which distributes malware through word files. South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians said on Monday that it traced the operation, which is believed to have been carried out by the group known as APT37. The operation started with spear-phishing emails disguising others to evade detection by security software. When victims opened the files, malicious hyperlinks enabled attackers to gain access to their systems. The development comes after APT37 sent a seemingly highly credible email message to a university professor in late August, gullible enough to fall for it. The group has apparently honed its tactics for cyberattacks over the months since. 2025-12-22 17:24:18

South Korean stocks lead broader Asian rally SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korean stocks rallied on Monday, with the benchmark KOSPI reclaiming the 4,100 mark as Asian equity markets advanced broadly. In Seoul, the KOSPI rose 2.1 percent to close at 4,105.93, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained 1.5 percent to 929.14. Foreign investors turned net buyers for the first time in six sessions, helping lift the main index. Institutional investors bought a net 1.6 trillion won ($1.1 billion) worth of shares, while foreigners purchased 1.1 trillion won on the main board. Samsung Electronics climbed 4 percent to 110,500 won, and chipmaker SK hynix surged 6 percent to 580,000 won. LG Energy Solution, the third-largest company by market capitalization, rose 2.8 percent to 389,500 won. Investment holding company SK Square jumped 8.4 percent to 315,000 won. Samsung Life Insurance advanced 3.4 percent to 160,300 won, while Korea Zinc gained 5.6 percent to 1,383,000 won. Among the top 10 blue chips, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries was the biggest decliner, falling 1.3 percent to 514,000 won. Japanese shares also rose. The Nikkei 225 added 1.8 percent to 50,402.39. Toyota Motor gained 0.9 percent to 3,455 yen, while Mitsubishi Corp rose 1.9 percent to 2,495 yen. SoftBank Group jumped 4.1 percent to 17,815 yen, and Hitachi climbed 1.9 percent to 5,004 yen. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group rose 0.9 percent to 5,064 yen. Chip-related stocks outperformed, with Tokyo Electron, the ninth-largest company by market value, surging 6.3 percent to 33,170 yen, and Advantest, ranked tenth, gaining 4.5 percent to 20,050 yen. Sony Group, the third-largest by market capitalization, was the sole decliner among the top 10, falling 0.9 percent to 3,960 yen. Market sentiment was shaped by the Bank of Japan’s decision on Friday to raise its key interest rate to 0.75 percent from 0.5 percent, marking another step away from the country’s long-standing ultra-loose monetary policy. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.7 percent to 3,917.36. 2025-12-22 17:21:49

S. Korea develops the world's second-fastest bullet train SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korea has finished the development of a next-generation bullet train designed to operate at 370 kilometers per hour, the transport ministry said Monday. The achievement positions South Korea as the world's second-fastest rail operator, after China, to operate commercial rail services at speeds exceeding 350 kilometers per hour. Finalized under a four-year national research and development program, the project focused on the EMU-370. This electric multiple unit is built for a commercial speed of 370 kilometers per hour and a maximum design limit of 407 kilometers per hour. Manufacturing is slated to begin in 2026, with trial runs expected by 2030 and full commercial service following in 2031. The leap in speed moves South Korea ahead of other major rail markets like France, Germany, and Japan, which typically top out at around 320 kilometers per hour. China remains the leader, currently testing a 400 kilometers per hour model for a 2027 launch. The Korea Railroad Research Institute led the 22.5 billion won ($15.2 million) initiative, backed by 18.0 billion won in government funding. Engineers used the existing KTX-Cheongryong platform as a baseline, introducing upgrades to handle the intense aerodynamic resistance and vibration of ultra-high-speed travel. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reported that the EMU-370 features a 47.4 percent increase in motor output and a 12.3 percent reduction in running resistance. These changes, along with a 30 percent reduction in lateral vibration, are expected to significantly improve ride quality. Officials noted that the EMU-370 could eventually link major cities within a one-hour travel window. For instance, the travel time from Seoul to Busan could be reduced from the current 2 hours and 17 minutes to approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. Beyond domestic use, the government is targeting export opportunities in markets like Vietnam and Poland, where new networks are being planned for speeds of 350 kilometers per hour or higher. "The completion of this project marks a milestone, coming two decades after South Korea introduced high-speed rail," Vice Minister Kang Hee-up said. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport intends to continue its research into third-generation rail technology with an ultimate goal of reaching 400 kilometers per hour in operational speed. 2025-12-22 17:10:48

As won hovers at crisis-era levels, Seoul feels like the world's most expensive city SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Headline inflation in South Korea remains anchored around the mid-2 percent range, but many households say daily life feels increasingly unaffordable, as a weak won erodes purchasing power and amplifies price pressures across imported goods. Seoul now "feels like the most expensive city in the world," ahead of Tokyo and London, according to a recent British Time Out survey that asked residents in 100 global cities to assess their cost of living. Only 30 percent of respondents in Seoul said they could afford dining out, while just 43 percent said they could comfortably buy a cup of coffee. The ranking places Seoul above Istanbul, Türkiye, where annual inflation stood at 31 percent in November. Korea's consumer price index rose a far more modest 2.4 percent in the same month. The disconnect reflects currency effects rather than headline inflation. Prices feel higher when converted into won, which remains stuck near levels last seen during periods of crisis. The won ended last year at 1,472 per U.S. dollar, sharply weaker than 1,288 at the close of 2023 and 1,264.5 in 2022, amid political turmoil and capital outflows after a disgraceful martial-law stunt. Despite strong exports and a record current-account surplus, the currency still hovers around 1,480 per dollar and is set to average at its weakest ever for this year. Korea's real effective exchange rate (REER) — which measures currency strength against a basket of trading partners, adjusted for inflation — fell to 87.05 in November, approaching 85.47 in the wake of the global financial crisis and 86.63 recorded during the 1998 IMF bailout. The weak currency is feeding through to import costs. The import price index rose 2.6 percent in November, the fastest increase in 19 months, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). While import prices fell 2.3 percent year on year in U.S. dollar terms, they rose 2.2 percent in won terms. This divergence is particularly visible in food and beverage items that Korea relies on imports for. Coffee import prices fell 1 percent in dollar terms from a year earlier, but rose 3.6 percent in won. Wine prices declined 0.2 percent in dollars but climbed 4.4 percent in won. Nut import prices rose 17.7 percent in dollars and an even steeper 23.1 percent in won. Such price pressures are weighing on already-fragile domestic demand. A survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry of 300 retail companies nationwide projected retail sales growth of just 0.6 percent next year, which would mark the weakest performance in five years. The chamber cited shrinking consumer sentiment, high inflation, intensifying competition, and heavy household debt as the main drags. Nearly 68 percent of respondents pointed to weak consumer confidence, while 46.5 percent cited inflation. Spending data show early signs of strain. Family expenditure on education fell 0.7 percent in the third quarter, the first quarterly decline in five years. Education is typically one of the last areas that Korean households cut back on. "The foreign exchange market is still dominated by concerns about further depreciation rather than a reversal," said Park Sang-hyun, an analyst at iM Securities. The BOK last month raised its inflation forecast for next year from 2.0 percent to 2.1 percent, warning that if the exchange rate remains around 1,470 per dollar, inflation could reach 2.3 percent. 2025-12-22 16:54:37